Walmart to see if they had a hose that wasn’t in the Home Store.
“Why Walmart?” I asked, thinking if they didn’t have it at the home store, they weren’t having it there.
“Cheaper.” He stepped out of the car.
I rolled my eyes slightly at his bad humor.
“Car parts, Faye. I want to find extra car parts for Fastball. Then we have them.”
There was he was again, always thinking ahead.
Walmart was clearly picked through. Especially the super center food portion. Who would take the meat though? Even I would know better and I was far from a survivalist. Some food items remained on the floor, knocked over, trampled on. But the things we needed were in the back. The farther back we walked, the less things were touched.
“Grab some blankets,” Dodge said walking at a quick pace. “The good ones.”
He moved ahead, leaving me behind, while I followed his dictate in the blanket aisle, grabbing an arm full and placing them in my cart. I looked to see if there was anything else, then decided, Dodge probably thought of it already.
I found him in the auto section. The store was so dark, I had to rely on that huge spotlight he carried, which lit everything around him.
“Got blankets,” I announced.
He turned and placed items in the cart.
“This stuff is not fitting in the car,” I said.
“It’ll fit. And I thought of other places we could stop to look for survivors. I want to put it on the atlas when we get back to the house. All part of planning our route.”
“Like where?”
“Army bases.”
“Army bases?”
“Yeah and Greenbrier Mountain in West Virginia. The resort there has an old cold war bunker,” he said. “It’s a casino now, but people may be hunkering down.”
“I’m sure. And we’re gonna open the door to the bunker and let the flu right in.”
“Okay then maybe we should hit the CDC first.”
“The CDC?” I asked.
“Centers for Diseas e… ”
“I know what it stands for, why?”
“They may be working on a cure.”
“So we go to Atlanta, go to the CDC which we probably won’t get into. Get the cure and drive all the way back up to West Virginia to deliver it to the people in the bunker.”
“Why do you have to be like that?” Dodge asked taking the cart from me and pushing it.
“I’m just repeating what you said so you can hear it.”
“You’re being sarcastic.”
“Realistic.”
“How about helpful?”
“I got the blankets didn’t I? And give me back the cart.” I took hold of the handle. “You shine the light. It’s spooky in here.”
“And I don’t mean about the blankets. I mean in general. Talk about this with me. Be a part of the plan. Have a little hope and try not to act like it’s a waste of time.”
“I’m sorry, Dodge. I am. I appreciate what you’re doing. My focus was only to get home. I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“So you didn’t know what you were gonna do after you got to your house?” he asked.
“Honestly. I was probably going to die.”
He stopped and faced me. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I am. I wanted to die before this whole mess happened. I tried, but I chickened out and messed up.”
“If you really wanted to kill yourself you would have. There’s no messing up putting a gun to your head. Wait. You hate guns.” He started walking again, leading the way. “You know, you had the focus to get home. Maybe you need a focus again.”
“We have the plan.”
“I’m thinking something to focus on. Something that you know needs you. Maybe a puppy.”
“A puppy?” I laughed. “The flu killed all dogs.”
“We don’t know that. We should hit a human society or pound just to check.”
“I think that’s a great idea. Set them free. But I don’t want a dog.”
“Not a dog person, ok,” Dodge said. “A cat.”
“I don’t want a cat.”
Dodge stopped walking. “What about a kid?”
“Oh, sure,” I scoffed. “I’ll just have a child in the post flu world.”
His voice dropped to
“Why Walmart?” I asked, thinking if they didn’t have it at the home store, they weren’t having it there.
“Cheaper.” He stepped out of the car.
I rolled my eyes slightly at his bad humor.
“Car parts, Faye. I want to find extra car parts for Fastball. Then we have them.”
There was he was again, always thinking ahead.
Walmart was clearly picked through. Especially the super center food portion. Who would take the meat though? Even I would know better and I was far from a survivalist. Some food items remained on the floor, knocked over, trampled on. But the things we needed were in the back. The farther back we walked, the less things were touched.
“Grab some blankets,” Dodge said walking at a quick pace. “The good ones.”
He moved ahead, leaving me behind, while I followed his dictate in the blanket aisle, grabbing an arm full and placing them in my cart. I looked to see if there was anything else, then decided, Dodge probably thought of it already.
I found him in the auto section. The store was so dark, I had to rely on that huge spotlight he carried, which lit everything around him.
“Got blankets,” I announced.
He turned and placed items in the cart.
“This stuff is not fitting in the car,” I said.
“It’ll fit. And I thought of other places we could stop to look for survivors. I want to put it on the atlas when we get back to the house. All part of planning our route.”
“Like where?”
“Army bases.”
“Army bases?”
“Yeah and Greenbrier Mountain in West Virginia. The resort there has an old cold war bunker,” he said. “It’s a casino now, but people may be hunkering down.”
“I’m sure. And we’re gonna open the door to the bunker and let the flu right in.”
“Okay then maybe we should hit the CDC first.”
“The CDC?” I asked.
“Centers for Diseas e… ”
“I know what it stands for, why?”
“They may be working on a cure.”
“So we go to Atlanta, go to the CDC which we probably won’t get into. Get the cure and drive all the way back up to West Virginia to deliver it to the people in the bunker.”
“Why do you have to be like that?” Dodge asked taking the cart from me and pushing it.
“I’m just repeating what you said so you can hear it.”
“You’re being sarcastic.”
“Realistic.”
“How about helpful?”
“I got the blankets didn’t I? And give me back the cart.” I took hold of the handle. “You shine the light. It’s spooky in here.”
“And I don’t mean about the blankets. I mean in general. Talk about this with me. Be a part of the plan. Have a little hope and try not to act like it’s a waste of time.”
“I’m sorry, Dodge. I am. I appreciate what you’re doing. My focus was only to get home. I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“So you didn’t know what you were gonna do after you got to your house?” he asked.
“Honestly. I was probably going to die.”
He stopped and faced me. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I am. I wanted to die before this whole mess happened. I tried, but I chickened out and messed up.”
“If you really wanted to kill yourself you would have. There’s no messing up putting a gun to your head. Wait. You hate guns.” He started walking again, leading the way. “You know, you had the focus to get home. Maybe you need a focus again.”
“We have the plan.”
“I’m thinking something to focus on. Something that you know needs you. Maybe a puppy.”
“A puppy?” I laughed. “The flu killed all dogs.”
“We don’t know that. We should hit a human society or pound just to check.”
“I think that’s a great idea. Set them free. But I don’t want a dog.”
“Not a dog person, ok,” Dodge said. “A cat.”
“I don’t want a cat.”
Dodge stopped walking. “What about a kid?”
“Oh, sure,” I scoffed. “I’ll just have a child in the post flu world.”
His voice dropped to
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